First graders hear Great Grandma and I. They locate objects representing then (seed) and now (tomato). They make then and now charts for members of their families.

First graders explore teacher created exploration tub, charts and cards to explain the concept of "Then and Now."

Young scholars examine cultural assimilation. In this Native American history lesson, students read and analyze "The Spirit Survives: The American Indian Boarding School Experience: Then and Now." Young scholars identify how American...

Students listen to a story about school in a one-room schoolhouse.  In this cause and effect lesson plan, students create a Venn diagram to find the similarities and differences in schools then and now. Students discuss how past...

Accompany The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis with this activity worksheet. Spark a discussion about the story's characters' decision making skills while making inferences and allow learners to connect personally by...

Class groups investigate the economic and political implications of a country's policies on genetically modified foods, craft a position paper detailing that policy, and share their findings with the class. Armed with this...

Students compare glaciers then and now. In this glaciers lesson plan, students learn what glaciers are, how they grow and retreat, the types of glaciers and how they are affected by climate conditions. Students match glacier images from...

In theory, at least, indentured servitude and slavery were two different practices in the American colonies. Class groups conduct a close reading of two primary source documents, one written by a slave and one by an indentured servant,...

Practice sequencing with your 2nd graders via Patricia Polacco's Civil War book Pink and Say. Begin with a blindfold and a bag of mystery items. Connect their use of clues to identify what they can't see with the skill of making...

What ancient Roman objects perform the same tasks as modern objects? In this activity, students are asked to identify 5 illustrations of Roman objects. Students are then prompted to compare these objects with the functions of 5 modern...

Students explore population and come to understand how it changes over time. For this census lesson, students discover what population is and how it changes as they participate in age-appropriate activities.

Students conduct research and use census data to compare different times and places. In this census lesson, students interpret data from charts and graphs, comparing census information from two time periods as well as from two different...

Students recall details about the formation of the earth and early atmosphere. They name the layers of the atmosphere and compare amounts of atmospheric nitrogen, oxygen, and argon. Formulate questions about global warming.

Fourth graders observe and write descriptions of the weather in a journal for one week. They research the daily journals of Lewis and Clark, compare the weather words used to their own personal journals, and discuss the need to...

Hook your class into an exploration of and discussion about violence in video games with a cute animal clip and a video game trailer. After a quick discussion about how media can affect mood, class members read a related article and...

Do the ends justify the means? Getting a drug approved in the US is a long and involved process. But at some point out, it involves testing on humans. The ethics of such testing is the focus of a resource that uses Dr. Albert...

Young scholars explore the concept of philanthropy. In this philanthropic heroes lesson plan, students read Kate Shelley: Bound for Legend and discuss the Industrial Revolution. Young scholars consider Kate Shelley's contributions to...

From simple subjects to compound predicates, this PowerPoint is a great tool for teaching the two parts of a sentence: subject and predicate. There are thirty-one colorful and interactive slides in this presentation which includes brief...

What do Robert Downey Jr., Basil Rathbone, Jeremy Brett, Fritz Weaver, Roger Moore, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Daffy Duck have in common? Why, it’s elementary, my dear Watson! They all have portrayed Sherlock Holmes. Literary detectives...

Couches, carpets, and even computer keyboards now advertise they are spill-resistant, but what does that mean? Scholars use physical and chemical methods to coat surfaces with thin films to test their hydrophobic properties. Then they...

If you're short on time and need a quick graphic organizer to help your learners connect history to the present, check out this resource. This worksheet can be useful for a visit to a museum or in conjunction with a reading assignment,...

Students read ancient Greek texts to explore ancient healing practices and compare them to modern-day medicine. They conduct research into modern first-aid practices, using a standard medical reference.

Students develop imagery in literary and art works. They discuss Jacob Lawrence's painting, the "Tombstones, 1942", which conveyed overcrowded tenements and families living in Harlem (New York, New York). They design picture stories...